Electric torch



A. A. KING.

ELECTRIC TORCH.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4. 1920 1,358,639.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

wwz WI longitudinally and AUGUSTIN ALMA KING, OF FINGHLEY, ENGLAND.

PATENT OFFICE.

IEILIIZI'CTRIO TORCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

Application filed February 4,1920. Serial No. 356,211.

such a manner that it closes the circuit only when the lamp is inclined downwardly and breaks the circuit when an upward inclination is given to the lamp.

, The present invention has for its primary object to prevent the ball switch from opening the circuit when the torch is held perpendicularly to throw the light downwardly, the tendency being for the ball to make and break contact thus causing flick ering or extinguishing of the light.

With the above object in view I house the ball in a chamber the wall of which is composed of metal and is fluted or corrugated I is slightly tapered toward one end which is open. This open end is closed by a metal disk forming the head of a cap which is insulated from the wall of the ball chamber the latter being formed inside the cap which closes the end of the torch. The metal disk above referred to is formed with a concave or convex portion eccentric therewith and to the opening of the ball chamber so that when the torch is held vertically with the lamp downward the ball enters the depression in the metal disk, or falls upon the dome, and is thereby caused to rest against the wall of the tact therewith. The metal disk of the cap closing the ball chamber is electrically connected with the battery either by a spring interposed between the battery and said cap or by other suitable means.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a View 1n vertical section of an electric torch embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modification and Fig. 4 illustrates a furthermodification.

The torch comprises the usual battery 1,

ball chamber and maintain con-' case 2, lens 3, lamp 4 and switch 5 all of which are well-known.

For the purpose of my invention I provide the torch with a ball-switch a and house the latter in a conical casing a composed of metal and the side wall of which is fluted or corrugated as shown in Fig. 2. The top of this casing is open but is covered by a disk 6 spaced therefrom and supported upon a ring I) composed of insulatlng material which forms a lining to a cap 0.

The disk I) is formed eccentrically with an indentation 6 providing on the one side of the disk a concavity and on the other a convexity, either of which may be presented toward the ball switch a.

The cap 0 incloses the casing a and is attached to a base 0 composed of insulating material to which the said cap is attached by means of tangs 0 ,0 passed through slots in the base a and then bent over. One terminal of the device is provided by stud or bolt 0 attached to the bottom of the conical casing a and the other terminal by a metal spring d which embraces the cap 0.

The device assembled as above may be at tached by means of the bolt 0 to the usual screw-cap 6 which closes the end of the case 2, the inner face of said screw-cap being provided with insulating material 0 Alternatively the device may be interposed between two cells of the battery 1 as shown in Fig. 3; or the device may be placed between the battery 1 and the lamp 4 as shown in Fig. 4.

To insure ample contact surfaces being provided that face of the metal disk 6 presented toward the ball switch a is roughened by serrations, fiutings or otherwise so as to form numerous projections so that the ball switch makes contact at more than one point. With the same object the surface of the ball switch may be roughened.

With the above construction when the electric torch is held with the lamp 4 presented toward the ground the ball-switch a rests upon the disk 6 and owing to the indentation b in the latter the switch is caused to remain eccentric with the disk 6 and to make contact with the side wall of the casing a. Assuming the switch 5 usually provided is closed a circuit is now established from the base of the battery 1, through the spring (Z, cap 0, disk I) ball switch a, conical casing a, bolt 0 screw cap 6, case Q, switch 5 and thence through the lamp at to the upper terminal of the battery l. lit now the torch is held with the lamp 4L presented in a horizontal direction the ball-switch (1 rolls away from the disk I) and breaks the circuit between the said disk and the conical casing a.

The improved torch is particularly useful for employment in cinemas and theaters when it is dark for showing people to their seats without flashing the light into the faces of those seated, the lamp circuit being automatically broken when the lamp is raised.

What ll claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In an electric torch furnished with a battery the provision of an automatic switch comprising a freely movable metal ball housed in a conical metal casing open at the top and the side Wall of which is corrugated,

a metal disk covering said metal casing and AUGUSTIN ALMA KING. 

